


Another side and story

by dev_chieftain



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-09-08
Updated: 2011-09-08
Packaged: 2017-10-23 13:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/250755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dev_chieftain/pseuds/dev_chieftain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yet another request on the kinkmeme:</p><p>In another universe, Barnaby is the elder of the two in his late-thirties, an esteemed (if cold) robotics engineer who participates in Hero TV for the sponsors he gets to develop further technology using the money he is offered. Kotetsu, meanwhile, is a rookie hero in his early-to-mid twenties, newly wed, about to become a father, and excited about living his dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another side and story

**Author's Note:**

> Because I obviously needed to start ANOTHER AU, right? I just can't say no to badass Tomoe. The idea excites me!

"So, hey! Bunny!"

"That's Doctor," Doctor Brooks answered, unfazed and not looking up from the display of their latest field test's results even to acknowledge that Kotetsu was speaking to him. The room was close and stale and Kotetsu shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other like a caged animal, lingering at the Doctor's shoulder to try to make sense of the data. As usual, it was no good; the words flew past too quickly for him to read in any case, and most of it meant nothing to him.

Tended to happen when you were working with various experimental alloys whose names were more like a game of 'how many chemical compounds can I mesh together into a single new word?' than anything familiar to the average citizen of Stern Bild. From the start, they'd had little in common, and it only seemed that they drifted further apart the better Kotetsu got to know his partner, which had done little for his confidence on the battlefield and even less for his sense of job security. What bothered him most, though, was the thought of 'Doctor Brooks' spending yet another night up working out the thermal bubbling problem that was their latest design flaw, arguing with his compatriot, Doctor Saito, and generally failing to take care of his physical health beyond the bare minimum. Whether he'd always been so obsessed with his work or not, Kotetsu's presence these last few months had only spurred him to shut the world out ever more vigilantly.

And damn it, Tomoe was right. Enough was enough.

Kotetsu firmed his jaw and angled his hat over his eyes as rakishly and determinedly as he dared. " _Bunny._ " he said again, a trifle petulantly. "You're coming to dinner with me. Tonight. Okay?"

"Mm," Doctor Brooks grunted, turning to his secondary display, entering a few lines of personal notation in a particular sector of the file and saving it before he continued as if he hadn't been disturbed. "No, you go on and spend some time with your wife. She's with child, isn't she? Congratulations."

Sighing in exasperation, Kotetsu grabbed Doctor Brooks by the shoulder and pulled him bodily away from the displays. The good doctor might have been his senior when it came to being a hero, but Kotetsu had considerably more upper body strength to show for it. "I told you that two months ago, Bunny," Kotetsu growled, putting his hands on his hips and trying to intimidate his partner. He knew it was a lost cause, but he tried anyway. "Come on, come have dinner with us. Socialize. Just, please! Don't spend another night sleeping on the cots in the med-bay!"

One elegantly shaped blond eyebrow rose, and with it, the corner of Doctor Brooks' mouth in a show of surprising good humor. "Is that a note of concern I detect, Mister Kaburagi?"

"How many times do I have to say it's Kotetsu?" Kotetsu whined, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. It was all for naught, he knew well enough, but he couldn't help trying every few days or so. Doctor Brooks simply shook his head, managing to look quite much-suffered about it all as he resolutely turned back to his work. "Damn it! Bunny, seriously!"

"Mister Kaburagi," Doctor Brooks retorted sharply, rolling his eyes and turning a smirk on Kotetsu that said he would do well to shut his mouth. There were three modes that the other techs had warned Kotetsu about when they were working with him on suiting up more quickly, or taking better advantage of his suit's features. They'd explained that the good doctor could be politely cold, politely warm, or downright vicious, and never genuinely pleasant to anyone not recording him for television or offering him sponsorship. To his dismay, Kotetsu had experienced even 'downright vicious' before, and it usually started with that exact smirk, right there.

So Kotetsu shut his mouth, and waited.

"I am currently in the process of developing a metal alloy capable of withstanding two-thousand Kelvins of heat exposure that is lighter and more flexible when forged than titanium. This metal," Doctor Brooks paused for breath, pushing his glasses further up along the bridge of his nose. His eyes narrowed in admonishment. "Will, eventually, allow you to endure stronger-than-recorded NEXT fire control, not to mention better serve you in situations like today with the power plant in Cerulean Plains."

Meekly, Kotetsu took the opportunity to apologize, interjecting, "I'm really sorry about the suit, by the way--" only to have the apology dismissed by a condescending wave of Doctor Brooks's hand.

"Unimportant. The data we collected negates the cost in my eyes. But this alloy would have served you better, Mister Kaburagi, if we'd had it today. Furthermore, it should allow for more comfortable underclothing, safer padding, better shocks and significantly improved mobility when in combat. I know you're not an idiot. You understand what this could mean if I am successful, even if you've no comprehension of job loyalty and dedication."

Kotetsu winced, but didn't disagree, lest he find himself unemployed for his troubles.

"So please." Gesturing grandly, it seemed that the good doctor had swept aside any and all arguments Kotetsu might have tried to make in response before they ever formed on his lips. "Go to dinner. Your absence will allow me to concentrate and will be much appreciated, I assure you." Doctor Brooks's smile was tight and cold, his eyes snapping with displeasure. Their nights often ended this way, though not quite as frequently these last few weeks as they had when Kotetsu and the good doctor had first met. He was a little disappointed to be set back to square one like this so regularly, but knew there was nothing he could really say or do to change Doctor Brooks' mind.

Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach, Kotetsu bowed politely, his enthusiasm for persisting in the invitation significantly hampered by this staunch rebuttal. "Ah." He glanced at the shattered remains of his suit with some guilt, and licked his lips, trying to let the cutting remarks roll off his back. "See you tomorrow, then."

"Good evening, mister Kaburagi. Try to conduct yourself responsibly, please."

And just like that, Doctor Brooks was lost in his work again, left hand drumming agitatedly on the desk as he scowled over a new stream of data and pulled up the first sheet to compare the two, evidently displeased with some disparity. Turning on his heel, Kotetsu let himself out, waving a weary hello to Doctor Saito as he passed by the other man and offering a thumbs up to the security guard on the first floor. He'd stayed late to try to get Doctor Brooks to join him, but as per usual, it didn't seem he was going to get to introduce his work partner to Tomoe anytime soon. Maybe it was selfish, but knowing what a huge fan of the show she was and always had been, he felt like he wasn't doing a particularly good job at being a hero if he couldn't even get her a chance to meet one of her idols as a perk of the job.

Shrugging it off, he stepped out into the cool evening air, finding his way to the nearest bus stop and taking up residence beside it, one hand in his pocket, the other occupied with thumbing through the contacts on his cell-phone until he was calling Tomoe. At least she wasn't expecting anything exciting; he doubted she'd have been willing to let slide the details of Doctor Brooks's cold reception or his impeccable logic if Kotetsu'd suggested they might have company when he'd called her earlier in the day. Around him, traffic moaned and screeched in its usual frenetic rhythm, even as the last of the light was fading from the sky. The phone rang almost to the point of switching over to voicemail before there was any answer. Pacing, he considered the merits of taking a seat on the metal bench provided by the city or just standing while he waited. He decided against it, glad of the chance to stretch his legs.

At the last possible second, Tomoe picked up, sounding harried. "Kotetsu?" she demanded, and he stifled a laugh, turning it into a warm chuckle.

"Hey, Toro~ I'm on my way home. How are you doin' tonight?" He leaned against the blue pole with the yellow sign proclaiming the bus routes that passed this way, glancing up the street in a hopeful search for the distinct shape and lights of an approaching bus. No such luck. A slightly chilly autumn wind blew through him, making him shudder.

"Great!" she said, sarcasm saturating her voice. "Aside from the fact that you're an hour late for dinner. Oh, and don't think I didn't catch the broadcast today! You ruined your suit! Barnaby must be furious with you."

For all that he'd tried, Kotetsu could not figure out why it was okay for fans to call the man 'Barnaby' when he insisted that Kotetsu think of him as 'Doctor Brooks.' "Yeah, well," he tried to say, but Tomoe cut him off before he could get any further.

"Is that why you're late? Were you doing stress tests on that new alloy of his again?" She snorted softly, her ire now turned on Kotetsu's errant partner, previous frustration forgotten. It was all well and good, he thought, that Tomoe could be bothered to follow all the detail of HeroTV, because if it'd been left up to him he'd have lied through his teeth about all the dangerous things he went up against daily that he was pretty certain Tomoe did not like having to watch at all. Some sympathy had crept into her voice, however, and he was cautious not to offend it.

"Yeah, more or less," he answered with a small smile. Even the sound of Tomoe's voice was better than nothing. The ride home might be a bit on the long side, but it didn't feel so bad when he was talking with her. "I tried to invite him to dinner again! He's completely against it, still. I'm sorry I can't swing it, I do think you'd like him. Just don't know what his problem is."

Tomoe's tinny voice sounded fond, but made him imagine her rolling her eyes at him, as though he were being silly. "It's perfectly obvious, you know. He's probably felt threatened since the day you met him. You might be the least intimidating man I've ever known--"

"Hey!" Kotetsu protested, laughing.

"--but you're irreverent, and I imagine he feels as though he needs to keep you in line. He's ten years older than you! You might not value those traditions about being respectful to your elders, but he clearly does. That's all it is. If you'd just try to meet him halfway about that and act like a proper gentleman I bet he'd warm right up to you."

"That's just it!" He fumed, spotting the familiar square shape of an approaching bus and waving it down impatiently as it drew near enough for him to confirm the number displayed on its scrolling marquee. Twenty-three line wasn't the most direct route home, but at least it wasn't the five-eight-seven, which didn't even go to Bronze district. "Most people don't even need to 'warm up' to me or anything, but I've known the guy for half a year and _never_ been able to get him to go out for fun of any kind."

Tomoe's laughter caroled in his ear, making Kotetsu smile in turn. "Oh yeah? Well get him something...sweet. Or touching."

As he fumbled for his wallet to provide bus fare and tried to hold the cellphone pinned between his cheek and shoulder, he did his best to sound nonchalant instead of let down. "Oh, sure, bring the guy chocolates. Then he'll just think I'm crazy!"

"He probably already does." Quietly, he counted out the change, handing it over to the driver and accepting the transfer slip. This late in the evening, the bus wasn't nearly as crowded as it tended to be at peak business hours. There were some small advantages to going home late, he reflected, as he picked a window seat near the front of the bus and leaned into the wall with a tired sigh. "Are you on the bus?"

"Yeah," he smiled ruefully. "It's pretty loud on here so I'll see you when I get home, all right?"

"You bet you will." Imagining Tomoe's teasing wink of promise, Kotetsu felt some of his earlier excitement for the evening returning. "Take care, sweetheart."

He grinned. "You too, honey."

Ending the call and pocketing his phone, he adjusted his weight to brace his shoulder against the warm metal wall of the bus, not quite resting his head against the shuddery vibration of the window. The sound and groan and buzz of the bus engine was enough to make any conversation or attempt to sleep uncomfortable, so he spent the trip daydreaming instead, staring out the window without really taking note of what passed him by. He was tired, if he let himself think about it at all for any length of time. Kotetsu might not be Doctor Brooks, pulling all-nighters in his late-thirties and sleeping in cots designed to be used only temporarily and only for people too heavily wounded to complain about the discomfort.

But he _was_ a Hero, and that did mean early mornings, labor-intensive days and often evenings, and taking pretty severe beatings along the way. Today had been no exception, struggling to prevent a nuclear reactor from meltdown with no knowledge of how, exactly, he was supposed to do it. He'd been so nervous his fingers felt numb, only capable of proceeding because Doctor Brooks had been there, walking him through it while he mirrored the procedure nearby. Their suits were both ruined, as much thanks to extreme heat as exposure to radiation, and they'd still been a little burned. They would be lucky, Kotetsu still thought, not to come away with some other injury they hadn't noticed at the time, considering the minutes they'd spent in close proximity to radioactive materials of who-knew-what-chemical composition.

Maybe Doctor Brooks was right, though. Maybe 'Hundred Power' had also provided them with some extra immunity beyond normal human tolerance. Kotetsu felt exhausted and dehydrated still, no matter how much water he drank, but he didn't feel nauseous or dizzy or anything of the sort.

Abruptly, Kotetsu realized he was familiar with the buildings and park that the bus was passing by, and he was about to miss his stop if he didn't pull the call wire to request it right this second. He reached up quickly, tugging it until he heard the answering chime, and clambered achingly to his feet. The bus lurched with exaggerated care to a stop and he saluted the driver with a small smile, calling 'thanks!' over his shoulder as he stepped off. Still shaking off the remaining threads of his woolgathering, he turned south with a forlorn glance up at the night sky through the upper plate.

Another half-hour bus ride on the seventy-three line and he ought to be home, provided he could make the quarter-mile distance to the appropriate bus stop in time. Jogging gamely along, he suppressed his yawns as best he could, pausing when a young couple passed by with their four-year-old son, unable to help the goofy smile that caught hold of him when he thought about how _that would be him soon_ , carrying his kid on his shoulders while Tomoe laughed beside  him. As much as he loved doing his work as a Hero, there was something about being with Tomoe, about having a kid to look forward to, that was even more rewarding. He'd felt nervous at first, when he and Antonio had joined the Hero TV line-up literally days after the wedding. Guilty, even. A Hero, he thought, ought to prioritize the city's safety over his own family life.

The more he thought about it, though, the more certain he was that his family still counted as part of that city he protected. Still grinning, he arrived at the bus-stop for the seventy-three just as it was pulling up. Grateful for the good luck, he flashed his transfer pass, took up a vantage by the back doors once the driver had marked the pass and waved him on, and settled in for the rest of the ride. It didn't feel so bad at all, knowing that there would be someone there waiting with a smile for him when he got home.


End file.
